Of the Error of the Manicheans concerning the Incarnation

THE Manicheans said that the Son of God took not a real but an apparent
body; and that the things which He did as man, -- being born, eating,
drinking, walking, suffering, and being buried, -- were not done in
reality, but in show. To begin with, this theory robs Scripture of all
authority. For since a show of flesh is not flesh, nor a show of
walking walking, the Scripture lies when it says, The Word was made
flesh, if the flesh was only apparent: it lies when it says that
Jesus Christ walked, ate, was dead and buried, if these things happened
only in fantastic appearance. But if even in a small matter the
authority of Holy Scripture is derogated from,* no point of our faith can any longer remain
fixed, as our faith rests on the Holy Scripture, according to the text,
These things are written that ye may believe (John xx, 31).

Some one may say that the veracity of Holy Scripture in relating
appearance for reality is saved by this consideration, that the
appearances of things are called figuratively and in a sense by the
names of the things themselves, as a painted man is called in a sense a
man. But though this is true, yet it is not the way of Holy Scripture
to give the whole history of one transaction in this ambiguous way,
without there being other passages of Holy Scripture from whence the
truth may be manifestly gathered. Otherwise there would follow, not the
instruction but the deception of men: whereas the Apostle says that
whatsoever things are written, are written for our instruction
(Rom. xv, 4); and that all Scripture, divinely inspired, is useful
for teaching and instructing (2 Tim. iii, 16). Besides, the whole
gospel narrative would be poetical and fabulous, if it narrated
appearances of things for realities, whereas it is said: We have not
been led by sophisticated fables in making known to you the power of
our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter i, 16). Wherever Scripture has to
tell of appearances, it gives us to understand this by the very style
of the narrative, e.g., the apparition of the three men to Abraham, who
in them adored God and confessed the Deity (Gen. xviii). As for the
visions of the imagination (imaginarie visa) seen by Isaias,
Ezechiel, and other prophets, they originate no error, because they are
not narrated as history, but as prophetic pictures: still there is
always something put in to show that it is but an apparition (Isai. vi,
1: Ezech. i, 4: viii, 3).

When divine truths are conveyed in Scripture under figurative language,
no error can thence arise, as well from the homely character of the
similitudes used, which shows that they are but similitudes; as also
because what in some places is hidden under similitudes, in others is
revealed by plain speaking. But there is no Scripture authority to
derogate from the literal truth of all that we read about the humanity
of Christ. When the Apostle says: God sent his Son in the likeness
of sinful flesh (Rom. viii, 3): he does not say, in the likeness
flesh, but adds sinful, since Christ had true flesh, but not
sinful flesh, there being no sin in Him; but His flesh was like sinful
flesh, inasmuch as He had flesh liable to suffering, as man's flesh was
rendered liable by sin. So the expression, made in the likeness of
men (Phil. ii, 7), conveys no idea of illusion: that is shown by
what follows, taking the form of a servant, where 'form' is
clearly put for 'nature,' as the adjoining clause shows, being in
the form of God: for it is not supposed that Christ was God only in
resemblance.*

Moreover there are passages in which Holy Scripture expressly bars the
suspicion of Christ being a mere appearance, Matt. xiv, 26, 27: Luke
xxiv, 37-39: Acts x, 40, 41: and St John's words, What was from the
beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we
have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life
(1 John i, 1). In fact, if Christ had not a real body, He did not
really die; neither therefore did he really rise again: And if
Christ be
not risen again, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also
vain, yea and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have given
testimony of God that he hath raised up Christ, whom he hath not raised
up [if He never really died] (1 Cor. xv, 14, 15).